[Nfbf-l] Remarkable Blind Man Raises Money To Rebuild Pianos, Reminds Us Anything Is Possible

[Alan Dicey]

Remarkable Blind Man Raises Money To Rebuild Pianos, Reminds Us Anything Is 
Possible
The Huffington Post | by Karin Swanson Updated:  02/12/2014
Blind Vancouver man rebuilds pianos
"I'm totally blind," says John Furniss, "But if you put your mind to 
something, you can do what you want to do."
John Furniss is an exceptional man. The 32-year-old from Vancouver, 
Washington, is one of the few piano technicians who rebuild pianos, in 
addition to tuning them.
What makes this even more remarkable is that Furniss is entirely blind.
At age 16, Furniss survived a suicide attempt, but was left sightless, 
according to KGW. He turned his life around -- discovering a passion for 
rebuilding pianos in the process.

Furniss moved to Vancouver to attend the Emil Fries School of Piano 
Technology for the Blind after he was unable to find employment in the 
woodworking industry in Utah, according to the Vancouver Vector.

"People love their pianos. When they sit down and play and when it sounds so 
beautiful and nice, that is like gold to me," he told KGW.
While enrolled in the School of Piano Technology for the Blind, Furniss 
found a mentor in Rick Patten, a piano rebuilder who designs tools 
specifically for blind technicians.
Patten told KGW that Furniss has proven critics wrong by showing that a 
blind man can be a successful technician.

"I wouldn't be where I am without Rick," Furniss told KGW.
As Patten prepares to retire, Furniss hopes to fill his mentor's shoes. With 
his partner Anni Becker, Furniss is trying to raise $15,000 through an 
Indiegogo campaign in order to purchase Patten's piano repair shop from him. 
According to the Indiegogo video, Furniss has successfully repaired four 
major pianos under Patten's guidance over the last year.

Furniss belongs to an elite group of blind technicians, and despite the 
challenges of his profession, he remains optimistic.

"I'm totally blind," Furniss said to KGW. "But if you put your mind to 
something, you can do what you want to do."
- - -